Nine Weeks
by Audrey Lynne
Summary: Abby's having a hard time keeping exciting news to herself, and she's impatient to get a look at the newest member of the family. She, Tim, and Ducky share a moment and a delightful surprise. FLUFFY FLUFF-LIKE FLUFF. McAbby all the way. Two-shot, now with bonus reaction chapter!
1. Nine Weeks

_This little one-shot is actually going to be part of a big, long, epic series. But I have sworn I will not start said series until I finish "Dark Angel" (which is a standalone) and some of my other fics out there. But this scene would not leave me alone, to the point where I was freaking dreaming about it (good dream, though) and playing with baby announcements (yeah, I'm hopeless). So, here it is, a contrast of happy to the more somber tone of "Dark Angel," and pure unadulterated McAbby love. And now it might be possible for me to listen to "One Boy, One Girl" again without going "OMG MCABBY LOVE SCENE." And, yes, there is shameless Tiva in this universe as well._

* * *

The distinct lack of any STAT lab results was about to drive Abby out of her mind. She was running all the routine studies and scans that came through on a given day at the Navy Yard, and her machines were humming as they should. But without team leaders breathing down her neck, she didn't have her usual pressed-for-time vibe going. In the past, she'd cherished moments like this, because she could work on her side projects. Now, she was just...bored. Maybe it was the caffeine deficit, new to her but necessary for the time being. Or maybe it was hormones.

Abby fussed with her wedding ring, twisting and turning it as she glanced at the scribbled post-it note stuck to the side of her computer. Her appointment, next week. Routine, just an ultrasound to see how things were going. And then Abby realized what was bugging her. Like a little kid in the weeks before Christmas, she couldn't wait. She wanted to see her baby. Hers and Tim's. The thought was still new and kind of amazing, and she dropped one hand to her stomach, smiling.

Nine weeks. Abby was extremely familiar with fetal development, but she still found herself running Internet searches in her spare time for nine-week ultrasounds, for diagrams of what little parts had formed in those itty-bitty humans-to-be. The pregnancy had been a surprise, but was certainly not unwanted. She and Tim had planned for children eventually. They just hadn't realized it would happen so soon. And she was dying to tell the world.

Convention dictated that Abby should wait out the first trimester in order to share the news, in case anything happened. She was still going back and forth with herself on that one; now that Tony and Ziva had returned from their honeymoon, Abby could no longer use the excuse of not wanting to steal their thunder. Three weeks, she and Tim had been keeping their excitement to themselves. She didn't know if she could do it for another four or five. Everyone had assumed Abby was on another health kick when she had announced she was giving up caffeine...again. Bets were already being placed on how long it would last this time.

Abby had a lot of equipment in her lab she rarely had occasion to use – and as she fidgeted, restless, it dawned on her that while the government had provided her with an ultrasound machine with the thought it would be used on evidence, it was medical-grade and therefore totally safe. She could have smacked herself for not thinking of it sooner. Sure, she couldn't get away with it all the time, but brushing off the dust and using it for personal means once couldn't hurt. She sent a text to Tim, telling him to meet her in her office, and went to roll the machine out of its storage alcove.

Whether it was fate or his mysterious sense of timing, Ducky strolled into the lab as Abby had the machine halfway to her office. He paused, looking amused, and glanced around at the complete lack of evidence piled up on the workstations. "Rearranging a few things, my dear?"

Ducky usually called before he came up, but Abby wasn't bothered. She laughed. "No, I'm just...I hadn't used this in awhile, thought I'd run some tests on it. What can I do for you?"

Ducky smiled serenely, in that way that made Abby think he knew all the secrets of the universe. "Actually, I was coming to see if I might help you. As you know, there has been a lull in active murder cases lately – always a good thing, but as a result, Autopsy has been a bit..."

"Dead?" Abby couldn't resist.

Ducky laughed. "You might say so." He studied her, then the ultrasound machine. "While it's always a good idea to maintain your equipment, might this sudden interest in ultrasound technology have something to do with your recent abstinence from caffeine and the fact that both you and Timothy have been walking on air for some time now?"

Abby blushed, knowing she was caught – and it was kind of nice, actually. "Yeah." She grinned. "Nine weeks. I've got an appointment next week, but I was...getting impatient."

"Understandable." Ducky nodded, then smiled. "Well, allow me to offer my deepest congratulations – and my help. You'll find getting the proper position for the best view to be a bit awkward if you're operating the device yourself."

Abby nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks." She shrugged, feeling a little sheepish. "I wanted to tell everyone sooner, but...they keep saying you should wait...and I get that, because it would be awful if anything happened..."

"True," Ducky allowed, "and I do see the wisdom in the advice. But given your relationships with those closest to you, it might be more beneficial to be met with a wave of love than unknowing silence. And, fortunately, at nine weeks, the odds have already begun to shift favorably."

Abby couldn't stop smiling. She bounced forward and hugged Ducky, who returned it with his usual warmth. She looked up and stepped back as Tim came into the lab. It didn't take him long to assess the situation. Abby hadn't said exactly why she wanted him to come; she'd just asked him to stop by.

"Hey." Tim smiled. "Getting sneaky, are you?"

"More like impatient, I should say." Ducky chuckled. "But no matter. A little peek could hardly hurt."

Abby spread her hands as Tim glanced at her. "He figured it out. But I say we forget waiting and just tell everyone already. I'm going crazy here!"

Tim nodded. "Yeah, it's hard not to slip, especially now that Tony and Ziva are back."

Abby laughed and motioned toward her office. She was glad she'd had a couch put in there awhile back, though at that point, she'd have laid down on her desk if it meant getting a look at her baby.

Tim settled down next to Abby, holding her hand as Ducky got everything set up. She pulled her shirt up, assessing her abdomen, not for the first time. She thought she looked bigger, but it was still a bit soon. She wasn't sure if Tim was humoring her when he agreed with her daily assessments.

Ducky smiled as he started the scan, his grin getting even bigger as he turned the screen to let Tim and Abby see. There was their baby, still resembling a hamster more than a human, but with a wildly beating heart, a mostly defined brain, and a tiny little leg. It wiggled around and Abby looked up at Tim to find him staring at the screen in awe. He looked down at her, his eyes wide and perhaps tearing a bit. Abby was already misty-eyed.

"We made that," Abby whispered, squeezing Tim's hand.

Ducky gave them a few more minutes, then moved on, wanting to check the placenta. As a doctor, he was nothing if not thorough, even if it wasn't typical for him to work on the living. He paused after a moment, which concerned Abby, but she relaxed when he smiled again. "Well, hello, there," he murmured.

Abby looked as Ducky turned the screen back toward her and Tim, and she giggled, watching the baby squirm and move its tiny forming limbs. It was hard to believe, that little creature, no bigger than her thumb, would be cradled in her arms in a little more than seven months. Then she frowned. "Wait, did you zoom out? I could've sworn he – or she – was bigger a minute ago."

"Yes, this one is slightly smaller – no cause for concern, though. Well within normal parameters." Ducky zoomed back the view, looking expectant for their reaction. There were clearly _two_ tiny little squirming creatures, and Abby gasped.

"Twins?" Tim looked both shocked and delighted.

"Oh, my God." Abby shrieked, her joyful tears finally overflowing. Tim bent down to kiss her cheek, and she pulled him toward her for a _real_ kiss. Ducky turned away to give them privacy, though Abby didn't miss his low chuckle.

In the background, Abby heard her computer chirping, and she knew she had to get back to work. She grabbed a tissue to wipe off the ultrasound gel and rearranged her clothes, then hugged Ducky again. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." Ducky reached out, taking her hand and Tim's. "As the old Scottish blessing says, may health, honesty, and happiness be your gifts."

Tim stepped forward, hugging Ducky as well. "Thanks." He kissed Abby on the forehead, then hugged her tightly. "Things are about to get wild, huh?"

"Yup." Abby melted into his embrace for a moment, then reluctantly dragged herself back to her machines. She was already thinking of creative ways to spread the good news.

* * *

_So if you want to see the eventual McAbby twins, just pop by my profile page – I uploaded the link to the baby announcement I was fooling around with._


	2. Nine Weeks, One Day

_Okay, so by popular demand and that of my muse, it became a two-shot. Now to get this gleeful lovefest out of my system so I can go back to the angsty dramatic stuff._

* * *

Abby had considered and discarded several options for making the announcement. She'd emailed Tim pregnancy test results with Amy Sutton's name on it. He'd wandered down to the lab and chuckled about that being quite a twist for his next novel when, finally, he got it, and literally swept her off her feet in a hug. In retrospect, Abby wondered if she shouldn't have realized she was pregnant sooner. She typically tracked her cycles with an intensity some found pathological. But she'd been caught up in helping Ziva get ready for the wedding, and it hadn't been until Tony and Ziva had departed for their honeymoon in Paris that Abby began to put the pieces together.

Keeping the secret had been a lot easier while Ziva and Tony were gone. If Gibbs suspected anything – and, oh, how Abby had been dying to tell him – he didn't say a word. Tony and Ziva were both nosy enough that they'd probably pry it out of Tim anyway if the announcement wasn't made soon. Abby and Tim had called their immediate families the night before, and the reactions had been fun. Sarah had played it cool but seemed excited. Penny had shrieked in delight. Luca was thrilled, though it was hard to hear exactly what he was saying above his daughter's cheering about two new baby cousins. Kyle had to compete with a litter of barking foster pups to be heard, but he'd kept repeating, "That is so cool!"

Abby smiled at the collection of wedding pictures she kept on the shelf above her computer – soon to be joined by Tony and Ziva's. Her and Tim, holding hands as they exchanged their vows. The whole team together at the reception. Her dancing with Gibbs. Abby touched that last one fondly. However she made the announcement, she had to tell him first. Not only was Gibbs not fond of surprises, Abby wanted that moment to be particularly special. He was going to be a wonderful grandfather – and as Abby's own family history had proven, blood wasn't everything. She respected Gibbs as her boss, but she loved him as her father, and things had been that way for a long time.

It had been less than twenty-four hours since Abby and Tim had discovered she was having twins, and Abby still couldn't believe it. She kept staring at the ultrasound printout, running her fingers over those two precious little grainy pictures. Somewhere along the three weeks they'd known, Tim had nicknamed the baby "the hamster," probably because that was what a lot of early ultrasound photos looked like. Overnight, the twins had become Thing One and Thing Two. Abby cheerfully took credit for that one and had already ordered a handful of twin-themed onesies online. She'd had to stay gender-neutral for the time being, but that certainly didn't take the fun out of shopping.

Abby heard the elevator ding, and she turned toward the door expectantly. She wasn't waiting for anyone, so she figured it had to be Tim or Gibbs. They were the only ones who showed up unannounced; Tony and Ziva usually called first, and the rest of NCIS had apparently fallen for the rumor Tony started that Abby had a number of voodoo booby traps in her lab for unwanted visitors.

Tim waved as he walked around the corner. "Hey." He gave Abby a quick kiss on the cheek, then handed her a small bag. Abby opened it curiously, grinning as she pulled out two pairs of black booties, one knitted to resemble sneakers and the other with a skull on each foot. She giggled. "These are so cute! Where'd you get them?"

"There was a little craft stand by the Foggy Bottom Metro when I was on my way back from an interview this morning." Tim smiled. "I knew you'd love them."

"They're so adorable!" Abby set them on her workstation next to the ultrasound, then laughed. "Holy crap, those booties are bigger than our babies right now."

"True, but babies grow." Tim wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "Just think, in no time at all, we'll wonder how we ever managed to get eight hours of sleep at a time."

Abby groaned, smiling as she leaned her face against his chest. "Yeah, and in even less time than that, I'll be big as a whale, and probably crabby about it..."

Tim pressed a kiss into her hair. "And I'll still love you."

Abby was lost in the moment enough that she didn't pick up on Gibbs' entrance, and they both jumped at the sound of his voice. "All right, you two. You can be married on your own time. I've got enough on my hands with Tony and Ziva making eyes at each other downstairs. You'd think two weeks alone in Paris would have been enough for them."

Abby laughed. Gibbs fussed over their public displays of affection, but he never got really bothered unless it interfered with work. Rule Twelve had never been completely abolished, but it had been given an addendum – if you absolutely must break Rule Twelve, keep it out of the office. "Ah, come on, Gibbs, we all need a little snuggling sometimes." Belatedly, she realized the booties and ultrasound were still on the workstation, but fortunately Gibbs wasn't looking that way yet. Abby managed to awkwardly slip them into the pocket of her lab coat.

Gibbs cocked his head, frowning. "If I didn't know that you know better, I'd say you were up to something." He focused his gaze on Tim, who admittedly was usually the first to crack under Gibbs' scrutiny. "McGee, what is she up to?"

"I, ah..." Tim shrugged.

Gibbs narrowed his stare. "Spousal privilege doesn't apply outside a criminal court, if you'll recall."

The distraction was long enough for Abby to duck under her workstation and pull out a small box, a gift she'd bought as soon as she found out she was pregnant and had been saving for the big reveal. "Okay, fine, Gibbs, you win." She held the box out to him, grinning. "Happy Tuesday."

Gibbs shook his head, but he was smiling. He used his knife to cut through the ribbon Abby had decorated the package with and, with another flick of the wrist, sliced through the tape. He pulled out the mug Abby had wrapped, then read it. _The best fathers get promoted to Grandpa. _His eyes darted over the words again as he frowned, confused, then his face melted into one of his rare mega-watt smiles. "I assume congratulations are in order?" He was clearly touched, but Abby knew it wasn't his way to address those feelings in words.

Abby couldn't contain her excitement. She lunged forward and hugged Gibbs, laughing. He hugged her back, kissing her cheek. "There's more, too!"

Gibbs laughed. "Knowing you, Abs, I'm not surprised." He looked down at the bulge in her pocket, where the booties were about to tumble out, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, Timmy bought those." Abby pulled out the ultrasound photo, shoving the booties back down in her pocket. "I meant this."

Gibbs frowned. "You know I've never been able to make heads or tails of these things." He turned it, looking for a moment longer, and understanding dawned. Even if he couldn't discern the babies' physical features, it was pretty clear there were two of them. Gibbs smiled. "You're going to have your hands full."

"Yup." Abby clasped her hands together in delight as Gibbs shook Tim's hand and even allowed Tim to pull him into a one-armed hug.

"Congratulations," Gibbs said, patting Tim's arm as he stepped back. "You do realize the same rules apply?" He had been clear when Tim and Abby had gotten together that if Tim ever hurt her, he'd be dealing with Gibbs.

Tim grinned. "Of course."

"As long as we're clear." Gibbs nodded, satisfied. "And, Abs?"

Abby perked up. "Yeah?"

"Once those tykes start crawling, keep them out of the lab."

* * *

Tim chuckled as he composed an email, anticipating the reaction it was going to bring. Abby worked beside him on one of her own, and they'd already planned to send them at the same time once they were done. It was one of the cutesier things he'd done in his life, but he was too elated to be stopped by that. Besides, as Abby had put it, "pregnancy announcements are supposed to be kind of twee."

Tim looked over the email, which he'd set up a special account on his personal server for. Abby was using another newly created account to send hers to a different recipient.

_To: adinozzo-at-navy . mil .gov_

_ From: junioragent __-at-_ deepsixed . com

_ Subject: Meeting_

_ Dear Tony,_

_ I know you have a very busy schedule, even now that you're married and not chasing girls anymore, so I thought I'd get a place on your calendar in advance. I should be in town June 10 of next year. I'm pretty new around here, so I'll need you to fill me in on what everything I should know about classic movies._

_ See you soon!_

_ Baby McGee_

_ P.S. My dad already volunteered you to watch me and my brother or sister. We come as a pair._

Tim sat back, satisfied with his handiwork, leaning over to read Abby's letter as she gestured him toward her screen.

_To: zdavid__-at-_navy. mil .gov

_ From: labhamster__-at-_deepsixed . com

_ Subject: Looking forward to meeting you!_

_ Dear Tante,_

_ Can't wait to meet you! Clear your calendar for June 10, give or take a few days. I know you'll show me all the best ways to handle my uncle. And it'd be cool if you taught me Hebrew, too, because I think I'm going to like languages._

_ Love,_

_ Baby McGee_

_ P.S. Not to pressure you, but I'd love a cousin to play with. It might get boring, just me and my twin._

Tim nodded approvingly. Abby was being a bit more upfront, using the Yiddish word for "auntie" in the greeting, but Ziva would love it. He sent both the emails to send in exactly ten minutes, plenty of time for him and Abby to get upstairs to observe the reactions.

* * *

Abby could hardly wait as she heard both Tony's and Ziva's computers chime that they had a new email. Fortunately, they hadn't disabled the sound, or she wouldn't know when to expect them to react. The new email addresses were cute, but they weren't just for novelty; Abby and Tim had decided to use them to write notes to their children before they were born and during their first years. Abby came up with the email idea; it was Tim's twist to have Tony and Ziva each informed by one of the twins. They weren't sure which was which yet, beyond the clinical Baby A and Baby B, determined by their staked-out locations in the womb, but Abby knew the babies would begin to assert their personalities as they grew.

Tony clicked on his email a few seconds before Ziva, so he was looking at it suspiciously when Ziva laughed out loud, delighted. Tony blinked at Ziva's reaction, then looked at Tim. "So this is for real?"

Tim nodded excitedly. "Yep."

Ziva practically leaped over her desk to get to Abby and Tim, hugging them both. "I am so happy for you!"

Abby grinned, before Tony snagged her into a hug as well, then looked down to address her stomach. "Now you behave for your mom, okay? I don't want to hear about any shenanigans until you're at least old enough to have photographic evidence."

Tim laughed. "Nice thought, but they can't hear you. They don't have ears yet."

Abby grinned, declining to point out that Tim still talked to the babies anyway. It was his prerogative as a dad – and his duty as a teammate to harass Tony.

She loved her family.

* * *

_Okay, I think I gave myself cavities with this one. In a delightfully shippy way. Back to the angst and drama Forgive the funky formatting on the email addresses; the site eats them otherwise._


End file.
